Pharmaceutical Disposal

We were all glad to hear of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s decision in December that it does not plan to survey health-care facilities, including veterinary hospitals, on how they dispose of unused pharmaceuticals. While the EPA decision was good news for the profession, it doesn’t relieve us of the responsibility we have to protect our environment through the responsible disposal of veterinary drugs.

We didn’t stop there, however. Through an educational partnership with Abbott Animal Health, we now have available, both in hard copy and online, a handy poster that details best management practices of pharmaceutical disposal. The online version is available right now for downloading, and you’ll find a copy of the print version in the April 1 issue of JAVMA. We suggest hanging multiple copies around your clinic to provide a good reminder to your entire team as to how – and how not – to dispose of pharmaceuticals.

We want our profession to serve as a responsible steward of our environment, and knowing the do’s and don’ts of pharmaceutical disposal is an easy way to do just that.